The Temple of Artemis, Ephesus

photo by Eileen Delhi on flickr

Along the Turkish Riviera there is abundant evidence of the country’s Greek history, including the remains of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, which dates back to 650BC and was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Although the remains are now somewhat scarce, it’s still an intriguing site to visit, as the lone marble column that rises from the ground hints at the grand scale of the building which once stood there, and the low-level foundations allow you to imagine for yourself what was inside.

Bodrum Harbour

photo by Yilmaz Oevuenc on flickr

Many hundreds of colourful yachts and boats line up in the harbour at Bodrum during the summer months, many of which belong to the rich and famous and certainly help add to the Turkish Riviera’s glamorous reputation. Look beyond the sails of the boats at Bodrum Harbour and you’ll see the Medieval Bodrum Castle, which should also not be missed for its fantastic views over the water, and the Museum of Underwater Archaeology in the castle grounds, at which you can discover some of the beguiling artefacts that have been plucked from Bodrum’s waters over the centuries.

Alanya Castle

photo by Arnstein Ronning on flickr

Commanding unmatched views over the city of Analya, this 13th century Seljuq castle cannot be missed during your travels around the Turkish Riviera. The remains of Analya Castle are surprisingly intact, and you’ll have many photo opportunities of the Cicilian Mountains as you make your way around the ruins. Also close by the Analya Castle are the relics of a mausoleum from the same era, as well as an 11th century Byzantine church, a survivor of the fortification that existed in the same spot before Analya Castle was built.

The Lycian Tombs, Fethiye

photo by Al, Izabela & Alyssa on flickr

Whilst there are many astonishing sights to be found along the Turkish Riviera, few come close to that of the Lycian Tombs in Fethiye, which were carved into the soft limestone rock faces and are still almost entirely intact today – a testament to the skills of the masons that hewed them, many hundreds of years ago. It was a Lycian belief that a dead person’s soul would be transported to the after-life by a winged creature, which explains why the tombs were built high up, near the top of cliffs or overlooking the water.

The Pine Forests of Icmeler

photo by Hans Mestrum on flickr

Enclosed by pine forests, the town of Icmeler is considered by many to be the quieter alternative to Marmaris, which is just a fifteen minute drive away. As you drive into Icmeler the fragran pines will give way to a sand and shingle bay, lined by many luxurious hotels like the Vela Hotel Icmeler, which make the town an inviting place to spend time on your Turkish Riviera journey.

Temple of Apollo, Didyma

photo by Geoff R on flickr

According to Greek mythology, the site of the Temple of Apollo is where Leto and Zeus supposedly conceived the twins Apollo and Artemis – yet unlike the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, Apollo’s shrine is still mostly preserved. The Temple of Apollo was one of the grandest constructions of its kind in ancient Greek times, and it’s still possible to walk through the corridors and around the columns to get a true sense of the shrine’s enormity.

The post Six Essential Stops on the Turkish Riviera appeared first on Pommie Travels.

Basically it’s kind of like Instagram, but for video.

The time limit for your Vine is 6 seconds. You point your phone at something you would like to video, then hold your finger down on the screen. You can then remove your finger and point your phone at something else and so on, until the progress bar shows you have filled 6 seconds. You can then add a caption and instantly publish it your Vine feed, Twitter and Facebook.

Why’s it so good you may ask? Because it allows you to make quick, concise videos that capture way more than an image can. And the best part about it is you don’t need any editing skills, and you don’t have to spend time uploading to Youtube!

This is a great app for me because I can add it to my blog posts to illustrate my experiences in more detail. In the Vine app the videos are muted so you don’t hear sound, but if I embed them into my blog, the user has the option to unmute it. The videos are also saved to your iPhone’s camera roll should you want to do something else with them.

How do I embed a Vine video into my blog post?

Simple. First you hit the little ”…” icon under the Vine video you want to share.

It will give you 3 options…”Delete Post”, “Report this Post” and “Share this Post”.

If you tap “Share this Post” there are another 3 options “Twitter”, “Facebook” and “Embed”

Tap “Embed” and it will create an email with a link to send to yourself. Fill in your own email address and send the email.

Now, check your email and follow the link. It will send you to a page that looks like this:

Underneath there is an embed code which you can copy and paste into the HTML editor when creating your blog post.

Currently the Vine app is only available for iPhone users, so all you Android folks will have to wait a little bit longer to join. 

I think this app still has a long way to go though and I’m sure there will be some adjustments.

The main problem I have with Vine is that you don’t have to have a unique username with no spaces like instagram or Twitter, and you don’t get your own Vine URL…yet. When I signed up I created an account by connecting through Twitter, and it created my name as “Victoria Brewood”.

With instagram and Twitter you get a username, in my case @pommietravels, but your profile can have your real name ie “Victoria Brewood”. With Vine you seem to have just one name, which you can change at any time. So while it is “Victoria Brewood” right now, I might change to “Pommie Travels” soon so I am consistent across networks.

Anyway, for the moment you can follow me by searching for “Victoria Brewood” using the app!

The post How to Embed Vine Videos into Your Blog Posts appeared first on Pommie Travels.

I saw my first flashing trishaw when I stepped of a night time river cruise of Malacca. It was decked out in flowers, with a butterfly canopy and a big love heart on the front. Plus it was flashing NEON PINK!

You can find these trishaws all over Malacca, I’m not sure how much a ride costs but they take you on a sightseeing tour of the city and I’m sure you can haggle on the price. Naturally, kids seemed to LOVE them. If you want to take a ride in one of these colourful bicycle-powered vehicles, you can find them all lined up in front of Christ Church on the main square.

I’m informed they are known locally as “Disco on the Go!”

My trip to Malaysia was sponsored by Malaysia Airlines. All opinions are my own. 

The post Pimp My Ride: Colourful, Flashing Trishaws of Melaka appeared first on Pommie Travels.

Melaka was my favourite part of the trip; I loved the red-brick Dutch colonial buildings, the colourful flashing trishaws and the wide array of street food available on Jonker Street.

During our visit we stayed at The Majestic Malacca, a gorgeous colonial-style hotel which fits perfectly with Melaka’s heritage. The hotel is built around a serene mansion dating back to the 1920s, and the 54 rooms are housed in a new building that mirrors the original architecture.

Welcome Drinks

Upon arrival we were presented with these welcome drinks…looks like a cocktail but it’s simply delicious ice tea with lemon! The lobby had such a relaxing and welcoming atmosphere, so I knew I would be in for a treat!

The Lobby

The lobby features a bar in a traditional colonial style, providing the ideal spot to enjoy a cocktail or whiskey! I personally loved the huge bouquet of flowers at the entrance.

The Room

I was staying in one of the Deluxe Rooms, which features a four poster bed, floor-to-ceiling windows, silk drapes and warm timber floors. There is also a silk-upholstered chaise lounge, a desk and a flat-screen TV. I love this traditional colonial style, which makes a nice change from the contemporary, minimalist hotel rooms of today.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is separated from the room by a big sliding wooden door, so you can choose to bathe with it open or closed. It features a clawfoot standalone bathtub and a separate shower cubicle. Complimentary toiletries included shampoo, shower gel, body lotion and soap.

The Pool

The outdoor swimming pool is situated between the gym and the Spa Village. It’s quite a small area but the hotel has only 54 rooms and I wasn’t really in Melaka to sit by the pool when there are so many things to see and do!

Afternoon Tea

Coming from England I love afternoon tea! At the Majestic Malacca the afternoon tea came with the usual sandwiches and scones, but it also had a bit of a Malaysian twist! My favourite dessert was the Malaysian Onde Onde. Onde Onde are balls made of sweet potato or glutinous rice flour that are infused with pandan (screwpine leaf), filled with palm sugar and rolled in coconut. When you bite into them they literally burst in your mouth as all the palm sugar oozes out! I also liked the Kuih Koci which is a Nonya Dessert of steamed glutinous rice flower filled with brown sugar and grated coconut, wrapped in banana leaf parcels.

Dining

At night we dined in the upstairs restaurant called ‘The Mansion’, which serves regional cuisine combining Portuguese, Dutch, English, and Baba-Nyonya influences. Melaka is particularly known for its Nyonya cuisine, which has developed from the intermarriage of the Malays and early Chinese settlers over the centuries. Among the various Nyonya dishes we tried were Kuih Pie Tee (top hats), Pong Taufu soup (meatball soup) and a dark stew with potatoes.

Nyonya Kuih Pie Tee

This trip was sponsored by Malaysia Airlines, and my room at The Majestic Malacca was provided by YTL Hotels. All opinions are my own.

The post Review: The Majestic Malacca Hotel, Malaysia appeared first on Pommie Travels.

As part of my latest efforts to keep fit while traveling, I decided to walk up to Promthep Cape, a popular sunset spot down in the most southwesterly point of the island. I have seen many sunsets around the world and each one is different, so I was keen to see what this particular lookout would be like.

Promthep Cape is a rocky headland that offers great views of the ocean and the neighbouring Naiharn Beach. There is a huge parking area which come sunset time us full with tour buses, cars, tuk tuks and scooters. Up here you’ll also find a bunch of souvenir shops and a restaurant where you can get a bite to eat.

As with most well-known sunset spots throughout the world, Promthep Cape was very very crowded with tourists. Everywhere I looked people  were taking photos of the sunset with their iPads, smart phones and DSLR cameras. When it is this busy it is quite difficult to get a photo of yourself without anyone else in the picture!

Nevertheless it was a magical sunset and an incredible view. As soon as we saw the last little glimpse of the sun disappear below the horizon, everybody started clapping. Then there was a mass exit. I imagine Promthep Cape is pretty quiet outside of sunset hours!

I took a couple of Vine videos and a few photos to give you an idea of what the Promthep Cape sunset is like:

The post Watching Sunset at Promthep Cape, Phuket appeared first on Pommie Travels.

Since my friend and I were on limited time, we could only manage a 1 day excursion.We booked a 1-day elephant trekking tour to the Mae Taeng area, which included an elephant ride, a hike to a waterfall, lunch, white water rafting, bamboo rafting and a visit to the Akha hill tribe. There are shops selling tours all over Chiang Mai, so I would recommend shopping around to find the best price. We discovered that we had paid a lot less than some of the people in our tour group.

And don’t forget to make sure you have adequate travel insurance when you’re traveling Southeast Asia to cover all the cool and awesome adventure activities you’ll be doing there.

Elephant Trekking

We were picked up by a Songthaew at 08:30am in the centre of Chiang Mai and immediately drove to the elephant camp. I would say it took around an hour to get to the Mae Taeng area. It was a fairly hot day ao I was glad of the fresh air in the back of the truck!

Before I go on, I’d just like to say that I am aware that elephant trekking is a controversial topic, and whether you decide to do it or not is up to you. A lot of people come to Chiang Mai to volunteer with rescued elephants, so you get to bathe them, feed them and really get a proper understanding of their behaviours. Unfortunately for us, this option was not cheap and it was just way beyond our budget. We also had very limited time in Chiang Mai so this played a big part.

As soon as we got to the elephant camp we were introduced to our elephants and we had the option to purchase some bamboo sticks for them to eat. I did an elephant trek once before in Koh Samui, so this wasn’t my first time riding an elephant, but it was fun nonetheless. My elephant seemed to want ALL his bamboo sticks straight away, so our mahout told me to give him the lot!

We saw some very scenic countryside along the way, and the trek lasted about 1 hour.

Waterfall

Next we embarked on a jungle trek to a waterfall, where we were able to cool off and drink a beer in the sun. The trek is fairly easy and takes about 2-hours round trip. That is of course, if you’re wearing some comfortable shoes. There was a Japanese couple in our tour group who did not come dressed for the occasion! Flip flops and a your best clothes are not really very appropriate on a tour involving hiking, so it took them a LOT longer.

After the waterfall, we ate a lunch of fried rice and fruit, which came included in the tour price.

White Water Rafting & Bamboo Rafting

I don’t have any photos of this part of the trip because I didn’t have a waterproof camera with me, but it was a lot of fun! First we spent 1 hour white water rafting down the Mae Taeng river.

Our group was split into two teams, and since the rapids weren’t very strong, we seemed to spend most of our time cruising down the river splashing each other with our paddles!

On the way we saw some people bathing an elephant in the water, and then it was back to our water fight.

When we reached calmer waters we switched to a bamboo raft- it’s amazing how these things feel so strong and sturdy! This was a very relaxing ride so we just sat there and admired the scenery.

You get very wet on the white water rafting, so make sure you either strip down to your swimwear, or bring a change of clothes! There are showers you can use afterwards if you want to shower and get changed.

Akha Hill Tribe

At our final stop we got to meet the Akha Hill Tribe, an indigenous tribe originating from Tibet. They now live in small villages at high altitudes in the mountains of Thailand, Burma, Laos, China and Yunnan Province of China. In Thailand, you can find the Akha tribe in Thailand’s northern provinces of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai.

These Akha women have set up stalls selling tourist trinkets to the tour groups that pass through. They are wearing their traditional clothing and striking headdresses adorned with things like silver coins, beads, shells and other colourful objects.

To be honest it felt a bit awkward rocking up to their village just to take photos and leave. When visiting poorer rural communities in Southeast Asia, the children and women often have stalls selling souvenirs to sell to the tourists. On the one hand, there isn’t really anything I want to buy, but on the other hand, I feel like I should be purchasing something just to give them a little bit of money.

I noticed one of the ladies seemed unhappy about having her photo taken, because she wanted us to buy something from her stall.  Would you be happy if a bunch of tourists came to take your photo every day, and never stopped to buy anything?

The post Elephant Trekking and White Water Rafting in Chiang Mai appeared first on Pommie Travels.

Medical tourism in Thailand is growing and many Australians come over here to get dental treatment or cosmetic surgery at a much cheaper price than they would at home. I, for instance, paid £400 for teeth whitening at my dental clinic in Manchester back in 2008. In Thailand I was quoted a price of 9,000 Baht, which is roughly £198 at today’s exchange rate. That’s HALF the cost.

Some of you may be nervous about getting dental treatment in a foreign country, especially when you see things on TV about botched cosmetic surgery abroad. However, as with any treatment involving your health or appearance, you should always research the clinic in depth before you commit, no matter whether you’re having it done at home or overseas.

I researched dental clinics extensively online, including clinics in Bangkok and Phuket. I wasn’t just looking for a cheap price, I was also looking for a clinic with a good reputation.

Having had the teeth whitening done, I can tell you that the treatment I received in Phuket was FAR better than what I get back home! So if you want to get teeth whitening in Phuket, read on…

Teeth whitening in Phuket

After reading lots of online forums and threads on both Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor, I decided to go with Sea Smile in Patong. It seems there are lots of Aussies and foreigners talking about teeth whitening and dental treatment online, so I am not the only one!

I had been considering the Bangkok Hospital Phuket as they looked to be very professional and my friend Kristin also recommended them, but when I contacted them I was quoted 11,000 Baht plus 250 Baht hospital fee for Britesmile. I contacted them again to see if they did Zoom Advanced Power (the one I wanted) but received no response.

Anyway I had heard some brilliant reviews of Sea Smile and I figured I would go with them.

I emailed Sea Smile about their prices for the Zoom Advanced Power whitening, and I was quoted 9,000 Baht with no additional hidden fees. For reassurance the email said;

“We are BSDC dental group Thailand. We have 3 dental clinics in Bangkok and 3 in Phuket and we have our own dental laboratories in both Bangkok and Phuket, so nothing has to be sent out thus delaying your treatment. Moreover, we are fully ISO 9001 certified in both dental clinic and dental laboratory by Bureau Veritas, so this can ensure that each portion of your dental works is perfectly treated in both clinical part and dental laboratory part with the excellent quality. ”

They also gave me a link to their Zoom Whitening certificate:

“Recently. we are proud to be the first dental clinic in Thailand to be the Thailand’s #1 zoom whitening providers in providing excellent teeth whitening services to our patients. If you are seeking the ultimate result, the advanced zoom whitening should get you the results you desire.”

I confirmed I wanted to book an appointment, and then they emailed me to arrange a day and time. I was able to state what day and time I would prefer, so they are clearly quite flexible. They must get a lot of people who are only in Thailand for a one week vacation and don’t have much time to play with.

Be aware that Sea Smile is part of BSDC dental group and they actually have 3 clinics that are all quite close together; you can see the maps here. I was given an appointment at the Smile Studio, and there is also another clinic called Patong Smile. So basically all the clinics are the same and you may be given an appointment at any one of them.

Afterwards I received a couple of appointment emails asking me to confirm the date and time, presumably because they must get some no-shows if people decide to cancel their vacation etc.

Zoom Whitening

The Smile Studio clinic is directly opposite the Jungceylon shopping mall in Patong, so I decided I would make a day of it and do some shopping after!

Here is the entrance to the clinic, it’s quite small so you have to look out for it.

This is the waiting area inside the clinic, which was clean and welcoming. There were lots of foreigners coming in for treatment.

The reception staff were very efficient and all I had to do was fill out a quick form on their computer. Once that was done, I had to sign a couple of forms to state I was aware of the treatment I was having done, and the short term side effects (tooth sensitivity).

I was quickly shown upstairs and the dentist and dental nurse were ready and waiting for me. The dentist was very professional and instantly made me feel at ease about the whole thing, informing me of the whitening process and what to expect. For an extra 1,300 THB she recommended I have a scale and polish before the whitening, which I agreed to do because I hadn’t had a proper clean at the dentist in a long time. Last time I scheduled a dental appointment in the UK, the dentist wouldn’t do a scale and polish, even though I rarely get to go for a check-up!

I also had the option to purchase a ‘touch up’ treatment which would allow me to maintain my white smile at home, although I didn’t purchase it.

So I had the scale and polish, then it was straight into the procedure. The Zoom whitening process itself isn’t that comfortable, not because of the tooth sensitivity (I barely felt any), but because my mouth was propped open for so long. It’s 5 years since I last had my teeth whitened, and my memory is pretty vague on what the procedure felt like.

Basically they put a big plastic retractor in my mouth to keep my jaw open and my lips away from my teeth. Then they stuffed what felt like cotton wool in the top of my gums and under my tongue to protect it. They put some eye protection glasses on me to protect my eyes from the Ultraviolet rays, and painted my gums with a gel-like substance to protect them from the bleaching chemicals.

Next they painted my teeth with the Zoom whitening gel and shone a Zoom light on my teeth. The Zoom light sort of fitted over my mouth and they would do this in 3 lots of 15 minute cycles. Each time a set of 15 minutes was up, a little beeper would go.

In total it took about one hour. At first I felt pretty claustrophobic with my mouth propped open like that, but then they put some music on and I soon relaxed a bit.

I have heard some people complain of tooth sensitivity, but I only experienced a couple of shooting pains in one of my teeth towards the end of the treatment. The whole procedure lasted an hour and once it was finished, I did a rinse around and I was good to go.

The dentist gave me some gel in case I experienced some sensitivity afterwards, and downstairs the reception lady also gave me some ibuprofen.

The Results

My teeth came out lovely and white, so I was very happy with the results! You are told not to consume coloured foods or drink any coke, red wine etc for 48 hours, so basically you have to go on a ‘white diet’.

“No tomato sauce. Maybe you eat plain pasta” the lady on reception told me as she handed me an after-care slip.

In Thailand I usually eat out every night because it is relatively cheap, but of course when you eat out it is difficult to find only white food. When I read about the ‘white diet’ online, it was recommended to eat plain chicken with potato mash and cauliflower…not something I would find in a Thai restaurant!  And I thought it would be  weird to just order a serving of white rice on its own. So I bought a packet of pasta from the supermarket and cooked it in the microwave at my place (I don’t have a proper kitchen). I ate things like plain yoghurt or porridge with bananas for breakfast, then the pasta for dinner.

I experienced some slight tooth sensitivity afterwards so I used the gel they gave me, but I didn’t need the ibuprofen. Any tooth sensitivity was gone by the morning and I was back to normal…except with pearly whites!

Conclusion

I felt like the service I received at Smile Studio was very professional and efficient. I didn’t have to wait in the reception for more than 2 minutes, and the ladies who worked on my teeth were very good and confident at what they were doing.  I instantly felt at ease, and the standard of service was better than what I get at home! If you’ve booked a dental appointment in Phuket and you’re feeling a bit nervous, don’t be! I will definitely visit the dentist again next time I am in Thailand!

The post Getting My Teeth Whitened in Phuket appeared first on Pommie Travels.

Some are for photography, some are for sending free messages to my friends, some offer downloadable travel guides, some help me book flights, and some help me organise my trips.

In Kuala Lumpur I tested out Livetrekker, an app that allows you to plot your journeys through gorgeous maps and record everything around you through photos, video and comments. You can then share your trips with your friends and family through email or social media. Best of all, your trips are stored to the cloud, so you can relive your journey any time.

Here’s a Youtube video outlining the key features of the app.

The Features

1) If you hit discover, you can see public trips that have been recorded and submitted by other Livetrekker users.

2) Secondly, you can record your own trips on your LiveTrekker account, to relive later. When you first use the app, if you want to use the “Tracker” functionality you must create a Livetrekker account, which you can access from your mobile device or online.  Simply hit “Tracker” at the bottom followed by “Start” and the app will record your route on the map through GPS. If you hit the icons to the side, you can take a photo, film a video, record a voice memo or write a comment anywhere along the way. When you’re done, hit “Stop” and name your trip. Simple!

The post Testing Out the Livetrekker App in Kuala Lumpur! appeared first on Pommie Travels.

“Climbing is the only cure for gravity.

The rhythm of heart and lungs

of legs and cranks

the whisper of chain and gears

of tires on pavement

form a mantra that chants

There is no past

no future

there only

is.”

(October Warm by Michael Blotzer)

This is an extract from one of my favourite poems. To me, it has always captured the way a cyclist becomes connected to their bike and time becomes nebulous.

Cycling is a wonderful experience. It can provide exercise, tranquillity, leisure, relaxation, escape and so much more. So wouldn’t it be nice to take a bike with you on your holidays? Or even take a cycling holiday?

There are many online providers of cycle routes, as I am sure you already know, and using these, you can plan a beautiful ride. One of my favourites is the route that follows the Kennet and Avon canal from Bath to Reading. This beautiful waterside route takes around 3 days to do but is relatively easy going. You could go slower if you really wanted to enjoy the scenery. This area looks beautiful with the sun shining and the water glistening, and gets even better as the sun begins to set, bouncing warm rays of light off of the water’s surface. An added bonus to this route is that it is well cycled – it is one of the most popular waterside routes, so there is little chance of you getting lost or being alone in the middle of nowhere. And, it even takes you through the Wessex Downs and a part of the Cotswolds, so it is a great route if you are a lover of natural beauty.

Here are some further popular cycle routes in the UK:

1. Mawddach Trail Cycleway

Following the path of an old railway line the 10mile trip which starts in Dolgellau has incredible views (mountains, sea and rivers) to offer. The trail is very level and sealed, and has numerous picnic spots and view-points on the way to the railway bridge in Barmouth, and is very appealing to families with small children.

2. The Camel Trail, Cornwall

The 18mile long trail provides a wonderful opportunity to discover the Cornish countryside. Following a disused railway line by the River Camel the path takes you from Padstow to Wenford Bridge passing Wadebridge and Bodmin. The views on the multi-used trail are astonishing, and you will have a lot of time enjoying them because the trail is easy and mostly traffic-free.  Further there are lots of benches and picnic tables on the way which will make your journey stress-free and give you time to rest. When you are going with kids, you might want to consider splitting the 18miles into a 2day trip.

3. Coast to Coast

A perfect overview of northern England offers the Coast2Coast ride. Starting in Whitehaven on the West Coast the 147 mile long path will take you into Tynemouth, the industrial north-east. You will pass beautiful viewing spots, lakes, and only a few hills. The C2C is Britain’s most popular distance cycling route, and it’s best taken from West to East to use the advantage of winds and short uphill’s/long downhill’s.

However, getting your bike to the starting location can be a pain. Personally, for me to cycle at the same rate as the route suggests from my home to bath, would take 9 days on its own! And it’s a dangerous and impossible task, what with the motorways and all. So instead, I got a rear door mounted cycle carrier. This allows me to take my cycle (and others should the need arise) on the back of my car.

You can buy a number of different cycle carriers at Indespension.

photo by Alan Perryman on flickr

The post Time for a Cycle Holiday? appeared first on Pommie Travels.

Turner, when did you first start traveling and where did you go?

What triggered you to start doing all these quirky jobs?

A number of things. I really wanted to work abroad, but I found most of the resources available to be bullshit. So I started hustling to find jobs. But along the way, I started to doing more interesting jobs, as I had been on the road for about 5 years, and doing the normal tourist thing wasn’t as engaging as it once was. So once I did my first odd job as a Tequila Harvester overseas, I was hooked. It was so much more interesting of a way to experience a culture than simply passing through like a transient tourist.

Where did you get the idea to set up a travel blog? Did you know much about blogging when you started?

I actually had seen a few travel blogs online, but found most to be really boring. I didn’t care to hear about some guy’s whimsical walk through a meadow, how the church incense ensnarled his senses, or listen to him pontificate to me about why my life sucked and how I needed to buy his e-book for $9.95 so that I too could live the dream abroad and be a charming unique individual. I actually had paid more attention to other types of blogs outside of the travel blog warm circle jerk cuddle fest.

Tell us about some of the jobs you have done so far, what is the weirdest one you have done?

Well – my favorite job thus far has been playing the Krampus in Austria. The krampus is basically a huge horned yeti/mountain beast that comes to the Alpine countries on December 5^th to hit children with sticks who have been bad. I got lucky and one guy was sick in on of these Krampus troupes, so I got to ride through the Alps in a big toboggan, drinking beers in this yeti suit with 30 other guys who spoke no English. Pretty unique travel experience. Good times. I also really enjoyed working in a Christmas Market in Germany where I served, and drank, copious amounts of the holiday drink, Gluhwein. Getting paid to drink and be festive, was my kind of job. And recently, I was working on a reality tv show in Bangkok that involved tuk tuks racing about. All of these have been pretty interesting.

What jobs have you failed miserably at?

Ha what a loaded question. All of them. Well – any one that involves manual labor I am particularly bad at, so harvesting agave in Tequila Mexico was no easy task for a super white gringo such as myself. Also, working with elephants in Northern Thailand was also a great experience, but I am a dreadful volunteer. My ADD kicks in and watch out.

How many have you done so far, and do you think you will reach 80?

I am on 19 at the moment. Yes I will make it. What kind of question is that. I will whore myself out in a brothel in Calcutta if I have too. Wait….did that.

Where are you right now?

Now I am residing in Bangkok Thailand, enduring the sweltering heat and trying my best to avoid the lady boys getting to handsy.

What are your hopes for your travel blog and for the future?

Well I hope to keep it going strong and getting even better and more interesting jobs. I hope to grow it into a tv show or into a legit resource people can use to find interesting life experiences they can have. Maybe even dole out some good job information for those who wish to work overseas but are tired of all of the bs some of these online companies are slinging.

And finally, is there a job that you would absolutely LOVE to do?

I really want to work on a game reserve in Africa. Also in a wine region in the world at a winery (Argentina, South Africa, NZ, Australia). And of course, for my deep love of canines, I would love to be a musher in Alaska, Finland or some other country that rarely sees the light of day. Those would be at the top of my list.

The post Travel Bloggers Who Rock! Interview with Turner from Around the World in 80 Jobs appeared first on Pommie Travels.